“Seen any papyrus scrolls lately? . . . No? Guess why not? They used to be the very latest form of text, totally en vogue. The most literate people used them. But guess what? The scroll was supplanted—totally obliterated and replaced by a new kind of text: the medieval codex . . . . Been to the local library lately? Seen any codices? No? Why not? Because a new technology came along that made the codex totally and utterly obsolete. Yes, Gutenberg’s printing press and Gutenberg’s book created a completely new kind of writing space—one that was more efficient and effective. So the codex became history. And the scribes? They became obsolete, too! Do you want that to happen to you—or to your students?" (Wilhelm, 2000, pp. 5-6).
Watch Help Desk - Why was this video so humorous? What implications does it have for your present personal and professional contexts?
The task is consistent over time - write and share information. It is the tool that has become more efficient over time. Think about this - do you word process using a computer? Would you prefer to use a typewriter? Probably not - you are probably more efficient with a computer than a typewriter. Think about what we ask our students to do, and with what tools. Why is there insistence on using inefficient tools in our schools? Why is there a desire to maintain control of the content and process?
Efficient & effective means the obsolete is replaced
What is a wiki?
A wiki is a website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change and link the available content.
"Wiki" comes from Hawaiian, meaning "quick."
Wikis are a way to write and collaborate in the 21st Century.
Nokia has been using Socialtext wiki software for a year and a half to facilitate information exchange within its Insight & Foresight group.
Yahoo uses Twiki software to help its development team overcome the problems associated with working from a variety of separate locations.
Michelin China also uses Twiki as a knowledge management tool. Jean-Noel Simonnet, from the company's IT department, writes, "Our purpose was to share ALL the information, procedures, setup documents, so that we were less dependent on a particular staff member's knowledge, so that nobody in the team has any document left in a personal directory."
Kodak, Cingular, Disney, Motorola, and SAP are also among the notable companies with wiki success stories.
Digitale-Schule - Wiki being used to explore various technologies in German
Español 3 - A simple wiki where each student has his or her own page.
Foreign Language Teaching Wiki - A collaborative project of the University of Florida, the University of South Carolina and the University of Tennessee
Italia-Austria Intercultural Project - Collaborative project between students in Italy and Australia. Note the ways that the use of Skype and other social technologies enable students to have substantive contact with one another
KWR-Deutschwiki - Literature explorations, group project work, individual writing
LanguageLinks2006 - Wiki designed to facilitate articulation, induction, and mentoring for student teachers
le français, le FLE, les TICE... - Bonjour, voici un espace de collaboration centré sur le français comme langue d'expression, d'apprentissage, d'enseignement...Vous pouvez participer à son développement en ajoutant des commentaires, des propositions ou des idées à partir des sujets proposés ci-contre.
Security - will your wiki be public, protected or private?
Discussion - members of your wiki can discuss on each page of the wiki
History - all changes are recorded, so you can see a time stamp as well as specifically what change was made.
We need to help students understand the ethical use of technology, including respecting other people's content. They will be expected to behave ethically in the workplace.
What does the research say?
Wiki as a Teaching Tool from the Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects
Assessment
Wikis allow for students to interact with real audiences for authentic purposes. Consider how a "real" audience "assesses" a performance. What kind of feedback might performers expect? How would a director assess a performance? What kind of feedback would the director provide? How might you use those principles to inform the way you use the features of the wiki to assess students?
The Wonderful World of Wikis: Playing with Possibility in the Digital World
Session Handout:
(Note: PowerPoint coming soon, along with additional pages of resources and information!)
Why should we care about new technologies?
Literacy by Design: Why Is All This Technology So Important?
Writing Spaces Through Time
Emerging technologies change how we approach daily tasks
Think about writing spaces through time. How have the following facets changed or evolved?
Consider how the following technologies changed over time and space:
Papyrus scrolls - Codices - Printing Press - Typewriter - Personal Computer - Email - Visual Websites - Wikis (Wikipedia began in 2001)
“Seen any papyrus scrolls lately? . . . No? Guess why not? They used to be the very latest form of text, totally en vogue. The most literate people used them. But guess what? The scroll was supplanted—totally obliterated and replaced by a new kind of text: the medieval codex . . . . Been to the local library lately? Seen any codices? No? Why not? Because a new technology came along that made the codex totally and utterly obsolete. Yes, Gutenberg’s printing press and Gutenberg’s book created a completely new kind of writing space—one that was more efficient and effective. So the codex became history. And the scribes? They became obsolete, too! Do you want that to happen to you—or to your students?" (Wilhelm, 2000, pp. 5-6).
Watch Help Desk - Why was this video so humorous? What implications does it have for your present personal and professional contexts?
The task is consistent over time - write and share information. It is the tool that has become more efficient over time. Think about this - do you word process using a computer? Would you prefer to use a typewriter? Probably not - you are probably more efficient with a computer than a typewriter. Think about what we ask our students to do, and with what tools. Why is there insistence on using inefficient tools in our schools? Why is there a desire to maintain control of the content and process?
Efficient & effective means the obsolete is replaced
What is a wiki?
A wiki is a website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change and link the available content.
"Wiki" comes from Hawaiian, meaning "quick."
Wikis are a way to write and collaborate in the 21st Century.
Wikis in Plain English (or onYouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY)
Same video in Spanish - http://light.vpod.tv/?s=0.0.283425
Discussion: How is a wiki different from a traditional website? From a blog? From a social networking site such as My Space or Facebook?
How prevalent are wikis?
Interés por los wikis
Wikipedia is the first large-scale wiki to evolve.
Curriki
Wikis used in business from Information Week:
Disaster coordination - MN Bridge Collapse wiki
One Laptop Per Child Wiki - Designed to support philanthropic laptop initiative
Purposes
What can you do with a wiki?
Advocate - Promote learning, assist preservice teachers and mentors
AFLTA 2008 State Foreign Language Festival
Japanese Club - A wiki that appears to be maintained solely by students
NNELL Leadership Institute
The Vermont FL Teachers Wiki
Connect - Students to other learners, support learning and professional development
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: My class notes wiki - Using templates on her Wikispaces wiki for class notes, etc.
Digitale-Schule - Wiki being used to explore various technologies in German
Español 3 - A simple wiki where each student has his or her own page.
Foreign Language Teaching Wiki - A collaborative project of the University of Florida, the University of South Carolina and the University of Tennessee
Fun/Chinese
Italia-Austria Intercultural Project - Collaborative project between students in Italy and Australia. Note the ways that the use of Skype and other social technologies enable students to have substantive contact with one another
KWR-Deutschwiki - Literature explorations, group project work, individual writing
LanguageLinks2006 - Wiki designed to facilitate articulation, induction, and mentoring for student teachers
le français, le FLE, les TICE... - Bonjour, voici un espace de collaboration centré sur le français comme langue d'expression, d'apprentissage, d'enseignement...Vous pouvez participer à son développement en ajoutant des commentaires, des propositions ou des idées à partir des sujets proposés ci-contre.
MSU College of Education Graduate Students - Wiki designed to enable graduate students to share information and ideas regarding topics that are important to them
Northside High School German -
NHS Spanish Classes - Example of how one teacher is encouraging students to explore the target culture through wikis
Quartap -
Toulouse Study Abroad Program - Dickinson College Wiki - Example of how a wiki is being used to support a study abroad program (Link not working right now)
Waterford School Japanese -
WIKAULA - Wiki from Spain for a Technology course (in Spanish)
Collaborate - Scaffold collaborative student projects
International Collaborative Wiki - Jerusalem - Wiki being used to facilitate cultural collaboration between students in Canada and Jerusalem.
Flat Classroom Project - A project including classrooms from around the world incorporating many new technologies
Educational Wikis - An alphabetized list of links of wikis devoted to educational purpose
Innovate - Improve personal productivity, design new materials
Toni Theisen's PLCs
Language Links - Innovative use of wikis to create a true hybrid seminar for foreign language interns at MSU
Madame Shackelford - Example of a wiki that is taking advantage of technological affordances for teaching and learning French
How do you make a wiki?
It is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1) Create
2) Edit
3) Save
Wikispaces is giving 100,000 free spaces for teachers.
PBwiki
PikiWiki
Useful information on usernames - http://www.wikispaces.com/help+Teachers
How could you use a wiki?
Group discussion
Copyright
As educators we must model ethical use of media. Know your copyright and fair use guidelines!
Use the features of the wiki environment:
We need to help students understand the ethical use of technology, including respecting other people's content. They will be expected to behave ethically in the workplace.
What does the research say?
Wiki as a Teaching Tool from the Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects
Assessment
Wikis allow for students to interact with real audiences for authentic purposes. Consider how a "real" audience "assesses" a performance. What kind of feedback might performers expect? How would a director assess a performance? What kind of feedback would the director provide? How might you use those principles to inform the way you use the features of the wiki to assess students?
Kasumi Kato & Lauren Rosen's Rubric (in English for a Japanese class) - http://www.actfl.org/files/public/updatedrubric.pdf
Vicki Davis' Wiki Assessment Rubric - http://k12online.wm.edu/WikiGradingRubric.pdf
Discussion
How are wikis transforming what it means to teach, learn, and understand?